Wayback Wednesdays Special - The Road Not Taken
by The Real JL Rules
Summary: Set in an alternate future to my main "Wayback Wednesdays" series. Batman and his mentor are rocked by the return of faces from the past... Originally written in 2003.
1. Chapter 1

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3\. What's this, I hear you say? A_ Special _? Why, yes! This is an alternate take on my series of_ Justice League: The Animated Series _stories. And... it's a_ Batman Beyond _story! Now, a quick note: as stated above, I wrote this over ten years ago. At that point, the (absolutely_ stupid _) revelation of Terry McGinnis being Bruce Wayne's biological son hadn't happened. As far as this tale is concerned, Terry is simply Bruce's latest protégé. Meanwhile, the backstory to this, erm, story veers off from my Wayback Wednesday timeline before a specific event occurred - you'll see what I mean. Also, because this is an alternate reality to my series, I didn't feel giving it a number was appropriate - hence it being a_ Special _. As for the "real" future of my series? Don't worry, we'll get to that..._

 _4\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 1

The train sped across the railway, as it entered the huge collection of corporate buildings known as Gotham City. It went along the track, passing several complexes… among them, the main tower of Wayne/Powers.

The train reached it's stop point, and slowed down until it stopped by the gathering of people waiting to board. The automatic doors opened all along the train, and hundreds of people left the train, while hundreds of people immediately filled it up again.

Among the sea of people, a figure emerged from the crowd. Wrapped in a big coat, with a hood over the face, the figure walked upto the timetable on one of the walls of the station.

She was back. After all these years, she was back.

She sighed, and walked towards the exit. As she went, she saw how little of the city people had changed. Fashions had changed, styles… but the same air of unease and tension was around. People stuck to the light of the streets, in fear of being caught in the shadows and mugged. If someone accidentally bumped into someone, they'd immediately be under suspicion of trying to pickpocket them.

She sighed. So little progress, in so long a time…

But that was not her concern. She had a job to do. And nothing would get in her way.

Not even…

Even…

NOTHING.

She had to find her. She had to block whatever memories this city brought up… and do her duty. She owed it to everyone back home…

But of course, THIS used to be home…

She stopped on the street, and looked down. Why had she come back? WHY did she have to come back here?

She turned her head and looked into the alleyway a few feet away. She sighed. Typical.

She walked into the alley, and looked down at the concrete floor.

There, by a drain, were two white roses.

She smiled. He still did it, even now…

She frowned, and turned around. She had a job to do. She walked out of the alleyway and went up the street.

She had a job to do…

And she had to stay focused.

/

"Look, Mom, I'm sorry, but I just can't! No… no… oh come on Mom, you know what I do is… yes… yes… no… yes… OK. If I have time. But I don't have a lot of credit… what, I can't ask him! He's my boss! He may be a… yeah… yeah, OK… no, I won't… no… don't talk to strangers… OK… midnight at the latest, yeah… yeah… Mom, I've heard all this before. I know the drill. Yes… yes, I'll eat here… yes, I'll be up for school tomorrow. Yeah… yeah… I love you too, Mom. Bye."

Terry clicked the disconnect button of his cell phone. He sighed. His mom had been all over the place ever since she had her promotion. And as a result, so had he. Do this. Do that. Get this. Get that. He thought life was tough before.

He sat up from the step and walked down the staircase. Once down, he went over to the huge computer screen situated at the main area of the complex. The man sitting infront of it kept his eyes on the screen.

"My Mom wants me to go shopping for her," Terry said.

"Don't expect me to pay," the man said.

Terry rolled his eyes. "The POINT is, how am I going to fit that in? Is there a chance I could cut short tonight's patrol."

The man remained silent.

Terry shook his head. "Figured."

"Now I know how Alfred felt," the man said.

Terry frowned.

"I tell you what, I'll sort out your grocery shopping, if you take TWO patrols tonight."

"What?"

The man looked at him. "Take it or leave it."

Terry held his head. "Fine. And let me guess, it's coming out of my pay?"

"I don't pay you."

"Don't I know it."

Terry walked away from the computer and went to a cabinet. There, in a glass casing, was a sleek black costume. He opened the cabinet and took it out.

"I want you to pay special attention to the corner at 5th and 2nd," the man said. "There have been some skirmishes there as you know, and I don't think they'll stop anytime soon."

"Is your job description, 'taskmaster'?" Terry asked. "Because you sure like giving orders."

The man smiled. "No, it says, 'Bruce Wayne, socialite'."

Terry finished putting on the costume. "Must be a typo."

"Anyway," Bruce said, "Can you take it a little easy tonight? You almost scratched the car last night."

"Oh, I'm sure that really set you back a lot," Terry groaned. He walked back up to Bruce. "You know, for a millionaire, you're a real skinflint."

"Just think that next time a bullet is stopped by your high Kevlar mail bodysuit," Bruce said flatly. He turned the chair around and stood up. "Just take it easy out there."

Terry raised an eyebrow. "Didn't know you cared."

"I was talking about the car."

Terry shook his head, as he pulled for the headpiece behind his neck. He then pulled it up over his head, and placed the cowl in place.

"Does your mother want sandwiches? And what have you had tonight?" Bruce asked.

Batman smiled. "Yeah, she'll want some. As for me, I'll get drive-thru."

/

The Batmobile sped through the Gotham skyscrapers. At one point it came within feet of clipping a side of a building as it leaned in close on the corner.

"You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?"

Batman smiled. "Just trying to see how much you do care about the car."

Bruce Wayne's voice came on over the commlink. "Cute."

Batman passed the main offices of Wayne/Powers. "OK, so I've kept my end of the bargain. I've done two complete sweeps of the city. Can I call it a night – or rather, early morning – now?"

"Just take one more run at 5th and 2nd," Bruce said. "I want to be sure nothing's happening there."

Batman groaned. He had hoped for an early night tonight. And that was before he was asked to go shopping for his mother. Now, he would be lucky to make it to school in the afternoon. "You better have got some good sandwiches," he said.

The Batmobile reached 5th and 2nd, and came to a halt above the block's tallest building. It hovered above, as Batman pointed the vehicle's exterior cameras down at the area. "See, nothing. Satisfied?"

Bruce remained silent.

"I'll take that as a grudging yes," Batman said. "I'm on my way ba…" Suddenly something on the screen caught his eye.

A figure, wrapped in a coat and hood, walked past the area. However, from the side of the screen appeared a gang of Jokerz. They quickly stopped in the figure's path and blocked her way. "Hold that," said Batman. "Time to save the day."

Batman opened the cockpit of the Batmobile, and activated his boot jets. He flew out of the car, and dove down to the street. As he neared, one of the Jokerz raised some kind of club in the air, about to strike the figure…

Batman landed on him with all of his weight. As the Joker groaned in pain on the ground, his companions ran to help. However, Batman leapt into the air and two of them crashed into eachother. He then threw out a batarang and took out another. However, as Batman landed on the ground, several more Jokerz appeared from the shadows.

"You ain't stoppin' our fun, Batfreak," a well-built one said. He swung a chain above his head.

"A word of advice," Batman said. He quickly threw a batarang high, and it caught one of the loops of the chain. It sent the chain – and the Joker – flying backwards through the air. He went crashing into the brick wall. Batman shook his head. "Never wrap a chain around your hand so much that you can't let go of it in time."

Another Joker crept behind him, but Batman could hear him coming, and quickly flicked his arm up and punched him in the face. Another Joker lunged, and managed to take Batman down. However, Batman rolled into the tackle, and kicked the Joker off of him. The Joker landed in a heap on the ground.

Batman stood up, thinking that they were all gone. However, a Joker managed to take him by surprise, and smacked him hard with a club. Batman went down hard, and shook his head, trying to clear his head.

The Joker went up to the figure in the coat. "I'm takin' my prize while I got the chance," he said. "Give us your credit, dreg." He put his hand on the figure's shoulder.

The figure looked at his hand, then looked up at him. It spoke, in a feminine voice.

"You stupid little man."

Suddenly, the figure grabbed the Joker by the shirt, and hoisted him up in one hand. It then threw him into the air, and he crashed into a wall.

The Jokerz who Batman had taken down got to their feet and looked at the figure. They were shocked.

The figure grabbed the front of its coat, and threw it off. Batman looked up and caught sight of it.

There stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

She was tall, with long, black hair. She was wearing red, blue and gold attire, and had silver bracelets on her wrists.

The Jokerz ran at her. "Get her!" However, the woman effortlessly kicked one of them in the stomach, and punched another in the face, sending him cartwheeling backwards.

The other Jokerz looked shocked, and turned to run off. However, the woman unhooked a lasso from her hip, and swung it over her head. She then threw it in the air, and it wrapped around the Jokerz, stopping them in their tracks. Before they knew it, they were yanked off their feet and pulled back towards the woman, who caught them all and pushed them into the wall. They all slid to the ground in a heap.

Batman stood up. Clearly, this woman could take care of herself. He watched as she put her lasso back on her hip, and pushed her hair behind her ears. She truly was gorgeous.

She looked at him, a puzzled look on her face. "Batman?"

"You pass the eye test," Batman said. "And you are?"

The woman frowned. "You're… a new Batman, aren't you?"

Batman blinked. He had gotten used to hearing that shortly after Bruce gave him the suit, but had been around so long that no one ever said it anymore. "You know of any other?"

"Where's the original Batman?" the woman asked. "Is he still alive?"

Batman was confused. Did she know Bruce in his prime? She looked far too young to be around during his time, even if she were just a baby.

He waited for Bruce to talk to him over the commlink. Perhaps he could shed some light on the subject.

But there was silence.

Of all the times… if he had taken Ace out to do his business…

"Why don't you tell me who YOU are?" Batman said. "You're clearly not the usual kind of girl who walks these streets."

The woman smiled, and went up to him. "Of course," she said. She stopped a foot away from him, and held out her hand.

"I'm Diana."

/

The side of the mountainside opened up, revealing a huge tunnel within. The sleek vehicle flew in, and the mountainside closed up behind it.

The Batmobile flew through the tunnel, then reached its landing pad. It slowly came to a stop, and lowered slowly to the ground. The lights went off, and the cockpit opened.

Batman stood up out of the Batmobile and looked around. There a few hundred feet away was the central computer, with his boss' chair infront of it. From his vantage point, Batman could not tell if he was sitting in it. However, he did notice that Ace was not sitting next to it.

Batman hopped off the vehicle and walked towards the chair. When he reached it, he removed his mask and ran his hand through his hair. No, Bruce was not there.

He looked around the Batcave, and noticed the doorway at the top of the staircase was open. Bruce must be up in the house.

After changing out of the costume, Terry walked up the stairs and walked through the grandfather clock passagway into the Manor. He looked around. The lights were out. What was going on?

Terry walked along the corridor, and noticed a light on at the far end. He went briskly up to it and opened the door to the room.

There, in the main lounge, sitting infront of the window, was Bruce.

He had his back to Terry. He appeared to just be sitting there, staring. Terry went up to him.

"Hey, what happened to you?" he asked. "Were you listening in earlier on? I could have done with some help. There was this girl… she said she knew you… knew the original Batman. But, she was only in her early thirties, max. How could she know you? Was she some loon? Did you know her?"

Bruce remained silent.

"Hellooooo, Earth to old guy," Terry said, waving his hand infront of Bruce's face. "You're being quiet, even for you."

Silence.

"Look, I thought we'd got past this secret stuff," Terry said, folding his arms. "If you don't know her, just say. But if you do…"

"Bruce."

Terry spun around at the sound of the female voice.

There, standing in the doorway, was her.

Diana.

Terry darted his head from her to Bruce, dumbstruck. How had she gotten into the house? How did she know TO come the house? How did she know Bruce? How did she know Batman? Terry had not been this confused since Commissioner Gordon turned up in the Batcave.

Diana looked nervous. "It's… good to see you again, Bruce."

Terry looked at Bruce. His gaze had not moved from the window.

Terry held his head. He tried to speak, but he was too confused to form words.

"Bruce…" Diana said quietly… "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Suddenly, Bruce slowly began to stand up out of his seat. He got to his feet, and leaned against his cane. Then, slowly, he turned around and faced Diana.

He stared at her.

Time stood still.

Then he spoke.

"I have nothing to say to you. You're not welcome here. Get out of my house. Now."

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3._ _This is an alternate take on my series of_ Justice League: The Animated Series _stories, crossing over into the future of_ Batman Beyond. _As stated above, I wrote this over ten years ago. At that point, the (absolutely_ stupid _) revelation of Terry McGinnis being Bruce Wayne's biological son hadn't happened. As far as this tale is concerned, Terry is simply Bruce's latest protégé. Meanwhile, the history of this veers off from my Wayback Wednesday timeline before a specific event occurred - you'll see what I mean. Also, because this is an alternate reality to my series, I didn't feel giving it a number was appropriate - hence it being a_ Special _._

 _4\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 2

"Bruce… please… you can't mean that…"

Diana looked at the old man standing yards away from her. She had to admit, she was surprised. First of all, she was surprised he was still alive. A man who lived his life in constant danger is not usually long for this world. But she was even more surprised at his manner.

He had told her to leave. ORDERED her to leave.

She thought he might be upset about what happened, but after all this time… was he not happy to see her?

"I won't say it again," Bruce said coldly.

Diana shook her head. "Bruce, you can't talk to me like that. We've known eachother too long…"

"Get OUT," Bruce repeated.

"I'm not leaving," Diana said. "I need you."

"Don't make me laugh," Bruce said. "You didn't need me 35 years ago."

Diana noticed the young man standing beside Bruce. He had a look of total confusion on his face. "Is this the new Batman I met earlier tonight?" she asked.

Terry held the back of his head. "Er…"

"You're not good at listening," Bruce interrupted. "I want you to leave. NOW."

"You can't still be angry after all this time," Diana said. "Aren't you happy to see me at all?"

Bruce wringed his hands around the handle of his cane. Diana could tell he was angry. "It doesn't matter how I feel," Bruce spat. "You made that perfectly clear."

Diana held her head and sighed. "Look, I don't have time for this. I need your help, and I've come a long way to see you…"

"Better late than never," Bruce spat out. Terry looked at him, and Diana felt sorry for the lad. He really had no idea what was going on.

Diana folded her arms. "Look, I need your help. Aresia…"

Bruce seemed to flinch for a moment, but quickly returned to looking passive. "Settle your own problems," he said. "After all, what YOU do is always top priority." Diana could tell the venom in his words.

Diana had had enough. "Great Hera, Bruce, stop acting like a child and listen to me!"

The air suddenly became colder. Bruce looked at her. "A… child…" He looked like he was about to explode. "How would you prefer me to react? Do you want me to welcome you with open arms, and just forget that you took everything important in my life and grinded it into the ground? You disgust me."

Diana tried to remain strong, but she could not. Not with HIM. He could always get beneath any tough exterior she tried to put up. Her shoulders sunk, and a tear crept down her face.

"I thought that time would have calmed your anger, Bruce," she said. "But I see it hasn't. I don't have time to reason with you if you're going to act like a child. I'll go, and leave you with your anger. Your meaningless, pointless anger."

Bruce suddenly raised his cane above his head. "GET OUT!" He then threw it right at Diana…

She caught it with one hand, and looked at it solemnly. "Goodbye Bruce," she said, dropping the cane on the floor. "Live the rest of your few days in anger. If you don't care, then I guess I don't care." With that, she turned around and walked out.

As she left the Manor, Diana's head sunk. What she had always feared for all these years was true.

He had never forgiven her.

He hated her.

And despite her words… she could not blame him.

/

Terry ran after Bruce he opened the grandfather clock entrance to the Batcave. Bruce went down the steps slowly, and Terry was a step behind.

"WHAT was THAT all about?" Terry shouted. "I mean… I… that was… that was totally whack, man! This woman turns up out of nowhere, who you obviously know, you talk for a bit about stuff which obviously happened a long time ago, then you tell her to get out! I mean… what WAS that?"

Bruce remained silent as he walked over to the Batcomputer. Before he reached it, however, Terry leapt infront of him. "Hold it, old man," he said. "Tell me what that was all about. I have a right to know."

Bruce looked at him. "You should get home. Your grocery will be delivered in the morning."

Terry rolled his eyes. "You're not keeping me out of this. It's obvious something happened between you two."

"If everything's so obvious," Bruce said, "why do you need me to tell you?"

Terry slammed his fist against the backrest of the chair infront of the computer. "I thought there were no more secrets between us?" he said. "Or am I just your errand boy? Your latest sidekick?"

"I thought you'd gotten past your inferiority complex…" Bruce said.

"Hey, this isn't about me!" Terry said, pointing a finger at Bruce. "This is about YOU, and your secrets! I've been Batman for a while now, and I don't think I should have to ask for stuff like this. But if you're going to be all high and mighty about it, then fine, I guess I have to say it. You weren't angry back there… you were out of control. I've never seen you like that before. Now, this woman obviously meant something to you to make you do that – AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT!"

Bruce remained unmoved. "It was a long time ago," he said solemnly. "It's all in the past."

"Yeah, it really looked that way back there," Terry said. "Looked like you'd REALLY put it behind you."

Bruce walked past Terry and sat in the chair. "You don't want to be late for school," he said flatly.

Terry suddenly swung the chair around so Bruce was facing him. "You're unbelievable, you know that?!"

Bruce turned the chair back around. "I get that a lot."

As Bruce began updating his criminal files, Terry leaned in. "Who is she?"

Bruce remained quiet.

"Who is she?"

Bruce tried to keep a straight face, but Terry could tell he was losing composure.

"Who IS she?"

"Drop it, McGinnis."

"Who IS…"

Bruce whipped his head around. "I SAID DROP IT!"

Terry was momentarily taken aback, but quickly recovered. "Fine. I'll ask her then."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "No you won't."

"Oh what, you're gonna forbid me to see her?"

"Yes."

Terry walked off. "Oh, give me a break." He gave one last look at Bruce. "Whoever she was, she obviously knew you well. Because you WILL always be angry. And alone."

With that, Terry ran off, leaving Bruce alone.

/

Bruce stared after Terry, as the young man strode up the staircase out of the Batcave.

The boy was angry.

And Bruce could not blame him.

However, this was about more than Terry. It had nothing to do with him. It was not his business. It was no one's business but his own.

Bruce sat down in his chair again, and sat there motionless.

He could not believe it.

She was back.

After all these years… she was back.

And despite his manner… he was happy beyond belief.

But he was also angry. Angry at her presumption. Angry that she thought she could just waltz back into his life after 35 years…

Well, if she thought she could do that, she was wrong.

He did not want anything to do with her anymore. Not after what she had done. She had taken everything important in his life, everything he had begun to reclaim since his family died… and then she took it away from him, and any normalcy he might have been able to finally have.

He would never forgive her. And he did not. She had hurt him more than anyone had ever done. And he would never let her into his life again.

But… he still loved her. After all these years… he never stopped. He had loved her from the moment they met, and he knew that it would be forever. He knew that she was the only one he would ever love, as long as he lived.

But she had deserted him. She had turned her back on him. And it was more than he could take.

In many ways, of course, he understood. He above all understood duty… but… she swore she would never leave him. Swore that she would be by his side, always. But she was not. Almost within a blink of an eye, she had gone.

All these years… all these decades… the life they could have had. He would have made her happy. She already made him happy. He would have given everything to her… and was prepared to. She had become his reason for being, his reason to continue his crusade. They could have had a lifetime together…

But then again, it would not have much for her. He was in his eighties, and she had not aged a day. She still looked as young and radiant as she did all those years ago. Perhaps she knew it was pointless – she would still be youthful and full of life, decades after he would be dead. His lifetime was a fraction of hers. What would be the point to watch a man grow old, as she would be forced to stay with him and grow bored. She probably got herself out of it before she could get stuck in it.

But it still hurt. To see her back, knowing what they COULD have had… and what he had ended up with. His was a life of what might have been… while hers was a life of what apparently had to be.

He was angry at her. He resented her. He hated her.

And yet… he still loved her more than he could ever say.

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Chapter 3

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3._ _This is an alternate take on my series of_ Justice League: The Animated Series _stories, crossing over into the future of_ Batman Beyond. _As stated above, I wrote this over ten years ago. At that point, the (absolutely_ stupid _) revelation of Terry McGinnis being Bruce Wayne's biological son hadn't happened. As far as this tale is concerned, Terry is simply Bruce's latest protégé. Meanwhile, the history of this veers off from my_ Wayback Wednesday _timeline before a specific event occurred - you'll see what I mean. Also, because this is an alternate reality to my series, I didn't feel giving it a number was appropriate - hence it being a_ Special _._

 _4\. There are references in this chapter to the_ JL:TAS _episodes "Secret Origins", "Paradise Lost" and "Fury". Look up synopses or rewatch the shows if you have them, but they're not vital to understanding this chapter. Hopefully it's clear enough (he says). There's also a mention of my first_ Wayback Wednesday _story,_ Together _._

 _5\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 3

Terry opened his apartment door and entered the home he shared with his mother and younger brother. He walked to the lounge, head down, not thinking about his surroundings.

He did not notice that he was not alone.

"Where have you been?" his mother asked.

Terry looked up to see his mother sitting on the coach. She had once again waited up for him.

"I've been working for Mr. Wayne," Terry grumbled.

"Is something wrong?" his mother asked, getting up off the coach.

Terry shook his head. "No," he simply said.

His mother walked upto him. "Just tired, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Did you get my groceries?"

Terry blinked. He had completely forgotten about it. He knew Bruce had sorted it out, but he could not remember what he had arranged. "Er… it'll come tomorrow," he said tentatively. "I'm going to bed. Night." Before his mother could say anything, Terry walked out of the lounge and went into his room. He closed the door behind him, and sat on his bed.

He was angry. Why, after all this time, did Bruce still keep things from him? He deserved to know. He was the Batman – he had done all the hard work all this time. He was no less Batman than Bruce had been. Then why did he still treat him like a kid?

Of course, he knew it was hard for Bruce to open up. After all, a man who has spent the majority of his life alone is not the most sociable person. But he thought he had begun to get through the tough exterior. There were times where Bruce actually seemed like a Human being.

What was it about this woman? What had she done to make Bruce so angry, so irrational? It was obvious they knew eachother… somehow. She looked far too young to have EVER known Bruce. He had never mentioned her. The most he had ever talked about the women in his life was Barbara Gordon and Selina Kyle. But it was obvious that this woman meant a lot to him, to have made him act so strange. It was just that he could be so stubborn.

Who was that woman? What connection did she have with Bruce? He had to find out.

Terry got up and walked over to his cupboard. He opened it up and took out the spare Batsuit he kept behind a secret compartment.

He began to put the costume on. If the old man tried to stop him, then the old man would have to try and stop him. But Terry was going to find out what was going on, one way or another.

He hopped onto his windowsill and opened his window. He made one quick check of his utility belt, then activated his rocket jets, and flew into the night.

/

Diana flew above the city, looking below at the streets. Not much had changed. The city was still riddled with crime.

She sighed. She thought that, after all this time, Man's World would have sorted itself out. Especially Gotham, with such a great man being it's guardian.

Maybe she was just naïve. How could she expect men to sort out their world, just as women sorted out Themyscira, and have lived in peace for centuries? They still had a long way to go.

Diana heard alarms from a building a few hundred yards away. She flew down to it and landed on the roof. It was one of Gotham's many banks, once again being robbed.

Diana sighed. Some things never changed.

She flew down to the street and smashed through the front doorway. She looked around to see four hooded men trying to break into the vault. They turned around and looked at her.

"Hey, what's this?" one of them said. "I didn't hear of any change in cop uniforms."

Diana folded her arms. "Step away from the vault and put your hands up," she commanded.

Another robber laughed. "Yeah, right, lady, whatever you say." He gave one of his compatriots a high five.

Diana was losing her cool. "I'm not used to being disobeyed…"

The robbers looked at eachother. "Hey, we don't have a problem with obeying orders from a hot chick, lady. It's just the particular order you're giving…"

Diana put her hands on her hips. "Men. You're still pigs."

Another robber pointed at her. "Hey, she called us pigs! And I don't even like milk!"

"That's a cow, you dreg," another robber said.

Diana stepped towards them. "I'll give you one last chance…"

"This has been fun, lady, but we ain't got time for this," the first robber said. He quickly pulled out a gun, and fired a couple of rounds.

Diana blocked the bullets with her bracelets. The robbers looked shocked, but soon recovered. They charged at her, screaming like wild animals.

Diana quickly unhooked her lasso and whipped it around two of the robbers. She then swung them into the path of the other two, and they all fell on the floor in a heap. They looked dazed, but soon got up and approached her again.

As they neared, Diana made no defensive stance at all. When one got inches to her, however, she quickly grabbed his arm and threw him up over her head and backwards, into the back wall. She kicked another in the stomach, and he keeled over and groaned. She punched another in the face, and just shoved the last one into a wall.

She looked around at the four robbers lying on the floor. She heard police sirens down the road, and figured it was time to leave.

However, there was one other person in the room.

"You can come out now," she said.

A vague shape of a figure moved from the shadows, and a circle on his waist was turned. Diana turned around, and Batman was standing there, uncloaked.

"I've been around Batman for years," Diana said. "You can't hide from me."

Batman was silent.

"What are you doing here?" Diana asked.

Batman looked at her. "We need to talk."

/

The rooftop was just next to the bank. Below on the streets, the GCPD were arresting the four robbers who had tried to break into the bank vault.

It was cold on the roof, but neither people who were on it noticed. Neither would have felt it anyway – one was wearing a heated bodysuit, the other was a superpowered warrioress. But both were too preoccupied to worry about the cold.

Diana folded her arms and leaned against a chimney. "Why didn't you help?"

Batman, leaning against a doorway to the stairs, smiled. "You looked like you had everything in control. Besides, it wasn't the biggest thing on my mind."

Diana brushed her hair away from her face. "No, I bet it wasn't."

Batman decided not to beat around the bush. "How do you know Bruce Wayne? He's never mentioned you before."

"No, I don't suppose he would," Diana said. "Do you really want to know the whole story?"

Batman remained silent.

Diana smiled. "Stupid question, eh? Well, I come from an island called Themyscira, an island separated from the rest of Man's World. We Amazons live in peace, and stay out of man's affairs."

Batman thought about questioning that claim, but decided not to. "So… how do you know Mr. Wayne?"

"About 39 years ago, the Earth was invaded by an alien race," Diana said. "I could not stand by and watch Man's World crumble. So I defied my mother and the Amazon code, and helped the world's heroes defeat the threat."

"Which led to the formation of the Justice League," Batman said.

"You know your history," said Diana. "Anyway, although he was never a full-time member, Batman… Bruce… helped us frequently in our missions. I…" She paused. She closed her eyes, and Batman thought he heard a faint sob. "I fell in love with Bruce," Diana said eventually. "And he with me."

Batman blinked. That he did not expect. Bruce… in love? A woman… in love with HIM? The idea was… weird…

"So… how old were you then?" Batman asked.

Diana looked at him. "It's not polite to ask a woman her age," she said. "Let's just say… Amazons are immortal."

Batman raised an eyebrow. "Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay… what happened?"

"After a battle against the Injustice Gang, we admitted our love for eachother." Diana's face lit up. "It was the most wonderful time of my life. We were together for years… I was unbelievably happy. I loved him with all my heart."

Batman looked at her. "We ARE talking about the same guy, right?"

Diana gave him an angry look, but her expression then softened. "About a year into our relationship, he proposed. I said yes, but we never set a date for the wedding. We thought we had all the time in the world…" She closed her eyes again, and a tear trickled down her face.

"What happened?" Batman asked.

Diana was silent for a moment, then composed herself and looked up. "Aresia, one of my Amazon sisters, had tried to kill all the men in the world. We stopped her, and she apparently died. But she survived, and… she felt the Amazons had betrayed her." Diana sighed. "She blamed me personally for her estrangement from Themyscira, and swore to kill all who I hold dear."

Diana then looked down again, and the tears ran down her face freely. Her voice was uneven and filled with pain. "She… killed my mother… Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons…" She held her face as she let out a sob.

Batman sighed. "I'm sorry."

Diana tried to compose herself, but her voice was still full of pain. "We managed to stop her, and she was arrested under Amazonian law and placed in imprisonment on Themyscira. But the island now had no queen."

Batman could tell where this was going. "So you took over?"

"It was my duty," Diana said. "As her daughter, I had to take her place as queen. I had been exiled from the island, but my fellow sisters all reneged on that and allowed me to take the crown." She looked at the stars. "But Bruce…"

There was a silence, and Batman decided to let her talk in her own time.

"Bruce didn't see it that way," Diana eventually said. "He knew that if I went… I'd have to abandon the life I'd built with him. But… I had to… it was my duty…" She broke down again, and held her face in both hands.

It all suddenly became clear to Batman. Bruce's anger, his behaviour, the cryptic things the two were saying to eachother at the house…

Diana sobbed uncontrollably. "He didn't even say goodbye… When I left, he never showed. I waited… and waited… but he never turned up… I had betrayed him… and he's never forgiven me…"

Batman walked up to her. He could not think of anything to say, other than the obvious. "I'm sorry."

Diana tried to compose herself. She wiped her tears away, and took a deep breath. "And now, Aresia's escaped. She's continuing with her mission to kill everyone I care about."

Batman sighed. "Bruce."

"No," Diana said, and looked at him. "Batman."

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Chapter 4

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3._ _This is an alternate take on my series of_ Justice League: The Animated Series _stories, crossing over into the future of_ Batman Beyond. _As stated above, I wrote this over ten years ago. At that point, the (absolutely_ stupid _) revelation of Terry McGinnis being Bruce Wayne's biological son hadn't happened. As far as this tale is concerned, Terry is simply Bruce's latest protégé. Meanwhile, the history of this veers off from my_ Wayback Wednesday _timeline before Bruce and Diana married. Also, because this is an alternate reality to my series, I didn't feel giving it a number was appropriate - hence it being a_ Special _._

 _4\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 4

"And in other news, Gotham's Second National Bank was saved from a burglary early this morning, and reports indicate that it WASN'T by Batman. According to the four robbers, they were stopped by a superpowered woman. Reports are still sketchy, but people are assuming it was the JLU's Barda. More news as we get it."

She pointed the remote control at the television and turned the news broadcast off. She then put the remote on the arm of the chair, and sighed.

Diana had come after her. To find her. To take her back to Themyscira.

Aresia stood up out of the chair in the lowly apartment she had rented the week before. She walked over to a table, which was strewn with Amazonian weaponry. Bows. Arrows. Swords. Knives. Shields. Daggers. Lassos. They were all weaponry she had stolen from Themyscira, during her escape.

She had been imprisoned in the island's prison towers for so long… but she had never lost sight of her purpose. She had sworn to destroy all that Diana ever held dear. Even if it meant destroying herself.

Stage one of the plan had resulted in the death of Hippolyta, Amazon Queen and Diana's mother, over 39 years ago. Aresia had then travelled to Gotham, with the sole purpose of killing the Batman. She had known, from her wandering Man's World after her supposed death, that he and Diana had formed a bond. She had watched countless news reports during the time. It was an Amazon's intuition. She just… KNEW.

But when she had staged her attack… the Justice League had gotten in the way. They had stopped her from fulfilling her goal. The Batman had survived, and she had been imprisoned.

But even high in Themyscria's prison towers, she kept abreast of what was going on. She knew that Diana had returned to the island and taken her mother's crown. When word reached the Amazons that the Batman had returned after twenty years, she found out, via her guards gossiping about it.

She now had a purpose again. She could continue her mission.

Her escape had been easy. After so long in prison, her guards had gotten careless. She had taken their weapons, and replaced her prison gown with her old clothes that were kept in the prison stockroom.

And now she was here, in Gotham again, with one goal. To utterly and completely destroy the Batman. And nothing would get in her way.

The fact that Diana had followed her only strengthened her cause. She would like nothing more than to break the Bat, infront of her sister. That would be the worst thing Diana could see, save for her mother's death… which Aresia had already accomplished. Her only regret was that Diana did not witness it.

Yes, Diana would pay. For everything that happened to her… the stopping of her mission to destroy Man's World… her imprisonment… her estrangement from her fellow Amazons… everything.

Aresia picked up a sword and stroked the blade. She then looked at the far wall, where a newspaper clipping of Batman had been nailed. She then threw the sword through the air, and it speared the clipping right between Batman's eyes.

Diana would pay with everything she held dear.

First her mother… then her love… and then her sisters… and then Diana herself…

Aresia would have her revenge. Or die trying.

/

Bruce sat infront of the Batcomputer, as he had been since Terry had left. He knew the boy was angry, and he knew he had had enough. But despite Terry's behaviour… Bruce was not angry. He was relieved.

He heard the doorway to the top of the staircase open, and footsteps soon followed. By the time Bruce turned around in his chair, Batman was standing a few yards away.

"So you went out again," Bruce said.

"Yes," Batman said. "And I think you know why."

"Yes," said Bruce. "I heard everything through the commlink."

"So it's true," said Batman. "She's your ex-fiance."

Batman turned back around to face the computer. "Yes," he said quietly.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" asked Batman. "It's not the kind of thing you forget."

"It was a long time ago," Bruce said, "It's all in the past."

"Don't give me that," Batman said. "I want your side."

Bruce closed his eyes, and sighed. He knew he had to. It was pointless avoiding it.

"Everything happened just as she said," Bruce began, still facing away. He could not look at Terry while he talked about the subject. "But I… was there when she left."

Batman frowned. "You were? Then why did you not say goodbye?"

"Well, that's not true," Bruce said. "I WASN'T there. But I did get there after she'd left."

Batman was silent, and Bruce knew he was giving him time to continue. "I was on patrol that night. I… had given her a hard time. I wasn't happy with the situation, and I let her know about it… I let everyone know…" He lowered his head, but knew he had to continue. "I was on patrol that night… nothing major. Just a few robberies, some muggings… I knew what time she was set to leave. It was about an hour before she left… and…" He stopped, and took a deep breath.

Batman sat down in the chair next to Bruce. "What happened?"

Bruce kept his gaze from Terry. "I suddenly realised I had to see her again. I couldn't let it… end like that. I had to at least… see her one more time…" He rubbed his eyes, but quickly put his hand down again. "I decided to go back to the cave, pick up the Batwing and quickly go to the Watchtower. I had an hour – plenty of time."

Batman removed his mask, and Terry looked at Bruce sympathetically. "She said she waited…"

"She probably did," Bruce said. "But it wouldn't have mattered. It seemed like the scum of the city knew I was on borrowed time. Suddenly there were crimes everywhere – robberies, muggings… it seemed like there was some conspiracy to keep me from Diana. By the time everything calmed down, I only had fifteen minutes."

Terry sighed. Bruce knew the boy knew what was coming.

"By the time I came back to the cave… picked up the jet… and got to the Watchtower…" Bruce said slowly, "she was gone. According to the League, I'd missed her by ten minutes."

"Why didn't you go after her?" Terry asked.

"What would be the point?" Bruce said, looking at him. "She had made up her mind… she wasn't going to turn around and come home. It was over."

Terry shook his head. "Because you let it…"

Bruce looked at him. "WHAT?"

Terry stood up. "I'm sorry Bruce. I really am. But you could have fought for her. It seems like you let her go."

Bruce got up out of his seat. "I believe you have school."

Terry looked at him, and shook his head. He began to turn away, then looked back. "Just one thing I don't understand. If you heard everything through the commlink… if you knew what I was doing… you could have pressed the button and paralysed the suit at any time. Why didn't you?"

Bruce remained silent.

Terry sighed. "Why don't you try facing your feelings yourself, before someone forces you to do it?"

With that, Terry walked off.

Bruce watched him go. He stood there, long after he had left.

Why, indeed?

TO BE CONTINUED


	5. Chapter 5

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3._ _This is an alternate take on my series of_ Justice League: The Animated Series _stories, crossing over into the future of_ Batman Beyond. _As stated above, I wrote this over ten years ago. At that point, the (absolutely_ stupid _) revelation of Terry McGinnis being Bruce Wayne's biological son hadn't happened. As far as this tale is concerned, Terry is simply Bruce's latest protégé. Meanwhile, the history of this veers off from my_ Wayback Wednesday _timeline before Bruce and Diana married. Also, because this is an alternate reality to my series, I didn't feel giving it a number was appropriate - hence it being a_ Special _._

 _4\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 5

The office block was in ruins. Desks, shelves, cabinets and paperwork were strewn around the area. People were running around trying to find safety.

Aresia picked up a massive workdesk and held it above her head. She then threw it towards a pair of double doors, and the doors smashed open.

She walked into the meeting room and looked around. Typical stuff was around. Champange. Sleek, rich tables and chairs. A big-screen television. Typical stuff of Men's World.

She looked up and saw a camera on the wall. She went upto it and folded her arms. "This is for the Batman. I will continue with this destruction until you show yourself. Face me, or people will die." She then turned around and headed for the exit. "That should get his attention."

"You already had it."

Aresia turned around, and saw Batman flying towards her at full speed. He crashed into her, and they both went flying through the doorway, through the office block and into the far wall. Batman stepped back as Aresia was momentarily on the ground.

"I know why you're doing this," Batman said. "And you've made a big mistake."

Aresia stood up. "Oh really?"

Batman pulled his arm back, then shot it forward. However, Aresia caught the fist in one hand. She began squeezing, and Batman's knuckles began to crack.

"You seem to have forgotten how strong I am," Aresia said, as Batman's mouth opened and gasped in pain. Aresia then punched him hard in the stomach. Batman went down to his knees, and struggled to catch his breath.

"Are you sure you're not the one who made the mistake?" Aresia said. She then threw her foot up, and kicked Batman hard in the face. He went flying backwards, and crashed a few yards away onto a desk. The desk cracked at the impact.

Aresia leapt into the air, and dove at Batman's limp form. She landed full impact on him, and the desk smashed in half. Aresia leant down and looked at Batman. "You've changed over time," she said.

Batman gritted his teeth. "You have no idea…"

Suddenly, Batman thrust his palm onto Aresia's neck, and an electrical charge shot out. Aresia threw herself backwards as the electric shock hurt her, and held her neck as she slowly got to her feet.

Batman tried to stand, but was wobbly on his feet. He held out his arm and fired a batarang, but Aresia caught it effortlessly and crushed it in her hand. She then turned to Batman. "Still with the old tricks, though…" she growled.

She lunged at Batman, who tried to get his arms up to block it. However, she punched him hard in the face, and he backed up a few feet. "You really think you had a chance against me?" Aresia said. "By trimming down, changing your warsuit, and with rocket boots, you think I wouldn't know it was you? Amazons are immortal, Batman, and I know you are too."

Batman raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"If you think you're going to trick me, you're wrong," said Aresia. "I know you were with Diana, and now I'm going to make you wish you'd never even heard of her."

"Sorry, doesn't count," Batman said. "I have no candles to blow out."

"Die!" Aresia shouted, and lunged at Batman. She crashed into him, and they flew all the way through the meeting room and smashed out the window. Outside, they began to fall, and Batman tried to get free. However, Aresia had a vice-like grip on his neck. "I'll crush you with my bare hands…"

Batman activated his rocket boots, and they stopped their freefall and shot up into the sky. Batman aimed their flight at a nearby building. However, Aresia saw what he was trying to do, and with all her strength, pushed Batman off of her. The force of the push overrode Batman's control of his rockets, and he crashed into the side of the building.

Aresia looked as the smoke cleared. Batman was imbedded in the building, his body shape having made a crater in the side. He stayed there for a moment, then he slipped out and began to again fall to the ground.

Aresia sped after him, intending on catching him in midair and throwing him into another building. However, as she neared him, she heard a voice behind her.

"ARESIA!"

Aresia turned her head, and just managed to blink, before Diana hit her head on and punched her in the face. Aresia fell backwards, and crashed onto a nearby balcony. As she shook her head, she looked down to see Diana catch Batman from his freefall and fly him to a building nearby.

Finally, her revenge could be complete…

/

Diana gently glided down with Batman in her arms, and they landed safely on a rooftop. She looked at a building a few hundred yards away to see Aresia standing on a balcony. She still could not believe what was happening. She never knew Aresia hated her so much.

She heard a groan and looked down. Batman was bent over resting on his knees, holding his head. "Are you alright?" Diana asked.

"Yeah, never better," Batman said. "Remind me again why I'm the target?"

"Aresia obviously thinks you're the original Batman," said Diana. "As Amazons are immortal, she must have assumed the Batman is too."

"Great," grumbled Batman. "Never mind that I'm a different build, in different clothes, have a different voice…"

"Men change their build all the time," said Diana. "What with their egos…"

"Oh, says you, Ms. Perfect."

Diana frowned. This new Batman was certainly different from Bruce. Much more… showy. Was not afraid to talk back. She wondered why she put up with it – she was a Queen…

Diana shook her head. No, she swore becoming Queen of Themyscira had not changed her. She was still the same person. She was not all high and mighty… well, not any more so.

"So what's the plan," Batman asked. "I take off my mask and offer her a chocolate cake?"

"Why did Bruce hire you?" Diana asked. "You're nothing like him."

"He kinda didn't have a choice," Batman said. "But we can discuss that later. I never thought I'd say this, but I want to end this wrestling match with a girl as quick as possible."

"You stay here," said Diana. "You're no match for her."

Before Batman could say anything, Diana flew off into the air. Batman frowned. "Gee, thanks."

Diana flew towards Aresia, her mind running a mile a minute. She had to end this. She could not allow Aresia's hatred to harm anyone else. Even if it was a case of mistaken identity.

"Aresia!" Diana shouted. "It's me you hate! Fight me!"

Aresia folded her arms. "Your time will come, sister. But I want you to see your boyfriend die first."

Diana landed on the balcony. "You've made a mistake, Aresia! Didn't it ever occur to you that this might be a different Batman?"

"NO!" yelled Aresia. "I won't have your lies trying to protect him! I know you care about eachother, Diana – always have. And for that – JUST for the fact that he loves you – he's going to die."

"You'll have to go through me first," Diana said, and raised her fists.

"I don't intend to do that," Aresia said. "After all, I want you to watch." She then leapt into the air, and flew over Diana's head. Diana turned as Aresia dove through the air…

Straight towards the Batman…

/

Batman saw Aresia diving straight towards him. Diana was too far away to make it in time.

Batman put his hand to his belt buckle, and activated his cloak. He disappeared, and Aresia's eyes opened. She effortlessly landed on the rooftop, rolling as she hit and stopped in a crouching position. She then stood up, and looked around. "Where'd he go?"

Suddenly, Batman decloaked, and hit Aresia from behind with all the strength he had. She flew forward, and hit the attic doorway hard. However, despite the strength of the suit, Batman's hand still hurt.

Aresia turned around and spat some brick crumbs from her mouth. "Just like all men," she said. "Always cheating."

Batman frowned. "You're trying to kill me. I think that kinda balances things out."

Diana glided down and set down next to Batman. "It's over, Aresia," she said. "You can't beat both of us."

"Can't I?" Aresia then dove at both of them, and they all landed on the ground in a heap. Aresia tried to grab Batman, but Diana kept her back. Batman was about to fire a batarang, when he realised that he was on the floor with two beautiful women.

He blinked.

That was all it took. Aresia sent her fist right into Batman's face, and despite the protection the cowl gave, Batman still nearly passed out. He held his head and stayed on the ground, while Diana and Aresia fought.

As Batman tried to get his senses back, he looked across the street and saw hundreds of people looking up and watching. He immediately thought about stopping it, before anyone got hurt.

As Batman stood up, Diana managed to stagger Aresia with a hard right. However, she seamlessly stepped off the roof, and fell down to the ground. Batman and Diana watched her fall, and she crashed onto the ground, forming a crater in the pavement.

"That won't stop her," Diana said.

A second later, Aresia stood up unharmed. She then looked around at the people in the street… and saw a small boy.

She ran over to him, and grabbed him. His mother screamed, but Aresia ran off with him. Batman and Diana leapt off the roof, and flew down to catch her.

On the street, Aresia stopped and, with one hand, ripped a lamppost from the ground. She held it above her head, and held the boy out as well.

Batman and Diana landed on the ground. "Let him go!" Batman ordered.

"Go and get him!" Aresia shouted. With that, she threw the boy into the air…

Batman activated his rocket boots, and flew into the air. He caught the boy in his arms, and took him back to his mother. He landed on the ground quickly yet gently and set him down.

Meanwhile, Aresia swung the lamppost and smacked Diana with it. Diana went flying back, and crashed into a wall.

Batman turned around. He barely had a second before he too was nailed with the post.

The world suddenly spun… and Batman was not aware of his surroundings. He could vaguely make out him flying into the air, being pulled.

Diana stayed on the ground. She was getting further and further away…

TO BE CONTINUED


	6. Chapter 6

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3._ _This is an alternate take on my series of_ Justice League: The Animated Series _stories, crossing over into the future of_ Batman Beyond. _As stated above, I wrote this over ten years ago. At that point, the (absolutely_ stupid _) revelation of Terry McGinnis being Bruce Wayne's biological son hadn't happened. As far as this tale is concerned, Terry is simply Bruce's latest protégé. Meanwhile, the history of this veers off from my_ Wayback Wednesday _timeline before Bruce and Diana married. Also, because this is an alternate reality to my series, I didn't feel giving it a number was appropriate - hence it being a_ Special _._

 _4\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 6

Bruce knew she was there before she was within ten feet of him.

"Bruce, it's the kid! He's been…"

"Taken. I know."

"You know? How?"

Bruce turned around in his chair, and saw Diana standing a few feet away. He knew she had gotten into the house… into the cave… as soon as she stepped in. Old age had not made him sloppy on security.

Diana looked at him, her expression a mixture of confusion and anger. "Why didn't you do anything?"

"I'm not exactly in tiptop condition these days…" Bruce said dryly.

Diana folded her arms. "How did you know?"

Bruce turned around again and faced the computer. "I have a commlink with Terry. It was activated the second he put the mask on."

"So you know what happened," Diana said. It was not a question.

"Aresia kidnapped him," Bruce said. "It's happened before. I put a trace into the suit… the problem is, it's fairly new. If she's taken him out of a five-mile radius, we won't be able to find him."

"That's useless then," Diana said. "You're miles from Gotham as it is."

Bruce looked at her. "I said it was new."

Diana sighed. "So what's the plan?"

"Aresia's very predictable," Bruce said. "She'll won't kill Terry if there's a chance she can get you to watch. So we wait."

"For what?"

Bruce sighed. Four decades being a queen had obviously dulled Diana's sense of hero/villain battle. "Aresia will contact us. Or contact YOU. We wait."

Diana paced around. "How can you be so calm?"

Calm. Bruce almost laughed. Little did she know that he was anything BUT calm.

Terry had been kidnapped. His life was in danger… but that was not what was bothering him. He was worried, of course, but he and the lad had been in this situation before. He had faith.

But Diana was a wild card. She was unpredictable. What was she really after? Did she just want to stop Aresia, put her back in imprisonment? Or had the years of being queen made her harsher, more judgemental? Perhaps she would have Aresia executed…

Bruce shook his head. He could not believe what he was thinking. This was Diana – the kindest, most caring woman he had ever met. He knew she would never stoop to such levels…

He also knew what was REALLY bothering him. Seeing her again… after all this time… had knocked him for a loop. He had honestly never expected to see her again. But she was back… and so were his feelings for her.

Although, in reality, they never left.

"So… what have you been upto all this time?"

Bruce blinked. Diana had the nerve to ask that? "What business is it of yours?" he asked coldly.

Diana's face fell. "Bruce, please… I didn't have a choice…"

"There's ALWAYS a choice," Bruce said.

Diana frowned. "I'm not going to justify myself to you, Bruce. I had a duty. If anyone would understand that, it would be you."

"I understood alright," said Bruce, still facing away from her. "You left. You broke your promise. Plain and simple."

"What about my sisters?" said Diana.

"I don't recall you ever promising THEM anything," said Bruce. "I promised to always be with you, Diana, and I meant it. I would have never left you. NEVER."

Diana face was pained, and her face was shaky. "My sisters needed me…"

Bruce had had enough. He could not hold it in anymore. He spun around in his chair, and looked at Diana with anger.

"I NEEDED YOU."

A tear ran down Diana's face. Bruce's heart ached. He had not meant to hurt her, despite his anger. But his feelings were too strong to hide. He had to let her know how hurt he was.

They looked at eachother, in silence…

/

Batman slowly opened his eyes. His vision was still blurry, but after a few seconds they focused and he could make out his surroundings.

He was in a large hall. The walls were made of thick steel. There were crates a few hundred yards away, and closer, a table with several medieval weapons. Batman noted how none of them looked particularly friendly.

He quickly realised he was in an underground bunker. He had been in enough of them during his time as Batman to know one when he saw one. The crates must have been full of food supplies, possibly even military weaponry.

Batman tried to stand, but he was being tied down to a floorpipe with a heavy chain. He tried to break free, but the chain was too strong.

He heard footsteps a few yards away, and they got closer. "I wouldn't bother if I were you," a feminine voice said. "Those chains are made of an incredibly strong metal."

Batman turned and saw Aresia walking upto him. "Where am I?"

Aresia stood infront of him and folded her arms. "Your new suit is wired, isn't it?"

Batman raised an eyebrow. "Wired?"

"Technical," Aresia said. "More like a suit of armour. With circuitry and everything, right?"

Batman looked at her, but said nothing.

"And I assume you have some sort of radio link in it, right?" Aresia knelt down and put her face an inch from his. "Call Diana."

Batman raised his eyebrow again. "Why would you think I could call Diana?"

"Don't take me for a fool," Aresia said. "You've loved Diana for decades. I know you'd never cut all ties to her."

"You're really whacked out, you know that?" Batman said.

Aresia frowned, and slapped Batman hard across the face. "Don't talk to me like that! I am an Amazon warrior, and you – you're just a MAN!" She held Batman's head forcefully. "Now call Diana!"

Batman remained silent.

Aresia stood up and walked away. "You fool! I was going to go easy on you! But since you won't co-operate, your death will be painful and slow. And Diana WILL watch! If you won't tell her, I WILL!"

She then strode back up to Batman, and knelt down. She then violently jerked Batman's head sideways, and moved her mouth to his ear. Batman grimaced as his neck strained from the pull. "Diana, I know you can hear me!" shouted Aresia. "We're in the Fourth Gotham Bunk Shelter, underneath Gotham park! If you want to save Batman, come and get him!"

She yanked Batman's head forward again, and stood up. Batman crinked his neck. "If you think she'll show, you're crazier than I thought."

"Oh, she'll come," Aresia said. "And then you will both die. And my revenge will be complete." She then walked off, and disappeared into the shadows.

Batman looked down. Despite what he said, he knew that, if she could hear them, Diana WOULD show. He just hoped she – and indeed, the old man – had something in mind…

/

Diana glided down and landed softly on the grass. She looked around at the trees surrounding her. Years ago, this area was full of woodland; it was almost like a mini-forest. But these days… there were barely trees in the two-digit range.

She looked at the sign at the entranceway. Gotham Park. It was a new sign… at least, new to her. But despite it being new since her time in Gotham, there was still graffiti and markings on it. Nothing was safe from vandalism.

Diana sighed. She did not have time to think about the past. She had to concentrate on the present. On finding the Batman.

She looked down at the grassy ground. Bruce had shown her the blueprints for the bunk shelter, but entering it via the normal passageway would take too long. Diana wanted to get this finished with as soon as possible.

She decided to adopt a technique used by one of her past teammates. She dove into the ground and spun around, grinding her way though the earth and into the underground. She was halted by the steel ceiling of the shelter, but a few hard two-fisted punches made short work of it. Within minutes, she was in the shelter.

She landed gently on the floor and looked around. She was inside a long tunnel, with lights on on the ceiling. She began to make her way down the corridor, but after a few yards she went to the air and flew down the passageway. She did not want to waste time.

She got to the opening at the end of the tunnel and landed. It was a huge hall. Crates were stacked in the sides of the walls, and there was a table a few hundred yards away. Even from her vantage point, Diana could tell what was on it.

Weapons. Amazonian weapons.

She heard a noise a few yards to her left. She darted her body and raised her hands in a defensive stance… but relaxed when she saw the figure step out of the shadows. The figure was barely visible in the darkness, but Diana could make out the outline. "Batman?"

Suddenly, the figure leapt out of the darkness, and Diana saw that it was Aresia in Amazonian battle armour. She wore a headpiece with a spiked top, and her bracelets had poisoned spikes on the side.

Diana barely backflipped to safety, as Aresia landed where she once stood, forcing a fist into the ground and making a dent. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me!" she shouted.

Diana backed away slowly. "Aresia, we don't have to do this. Batman… has nothing to do with this. He's a different Batman…"

Aresia raised her arm at her. "LIAR!" She then fired poisoned darts from her bracelets. Diana dove out of the way, and the darts speared the wall behind her.

Diana noticed the table of weapons and headed for it. She knew Aresia had the upper hand as long as she was armed to the teeth. All Diana had was her bracelets and lasso.

She ran towards the table, but another lasso wrapped around her and stopped her. She fell to the ground and looked up. Aresia was holding the other end of the lasso. "No you don't," she said, and pulled hard. Diana went flying towards her, and Aresia hit her hard with a backhand. Diana went flying into a wall, and landed in a heap on some crates.

She shook her head, and looked up. In the corner of her eye, she could see Batman chained to a floorpipe, trying to break free. However, Diana could not help him, as she saw Aresia diving towards her, a retractable blade unsheathed from her bracelet.

Diana leapt into the air, and Aresia landed on the crates, spearing one of them. As she tried to rip her blade free, Diana hovered above her. She then dove down, and landed on Aresia's back with all her weight. The crates smashed with the impact, and Aresia was drenched with soda.

Diana grabbed Aresia's right arm and ripped the bladed bracelet off of her wrist. She threw it to one side, but Aresia forced her elbow back, hitting Diana in the face. Aresia then flipped onto her back, and kicked Diana away hard. Diana went sailing through the air, and landed hard on the concrete floor.

As Diana tried to get her strength back, Aresia walked towards her. "I can't tell you how long I've waited for this, sister. To see you on the ground, defeated, as you should have been all those years ago."

"Aresia…" Diana gasped. She was still a little out of breath. "You don't have to do this. Let it end… killing Batman and I won't get you accepted back into Themyscira…"

"You think I care about the island anymore?" Aresia yelled. "All I care about is destroying everything you hold dear! First it will be your boyfriend, then the rest of your sisters on the island."

Diana's eyes widened. "What…?"

Aresia smiled. "Remember my virus from all those years ago? I've tweaked it so it now works on men AND women. Once Batman is dead, I'm going to drop a bomb on a certain island…"

"No!" Diana yelled, and lunged at Aresia. However, Aresia pointed her arm at her and fired a dart…

Diana, whose mind was clouded with anger, could not avoid the dart in time. It hit her in the left shoulder, and Diana immediately began to feel weak.

She staggered for a moment, then slowly fell to her knees. She looked up at Aresia, as the world began to spin. Diana then fell to her stomach, the drugged dart having taken full effect.

Aresia walked around her slowly. "At last, my revenge will be complete. The drug won't kill you Diana. After all, I want you to see this." She then kicked Diana hard in the ribs. Diana gasped as the air left her body at the impact.

Aresia strode towards Batman. "Keep your eyes peeled, dear sister," she said. "And say goodbye to your love…"

As Aresia neared Batman, Diana lifted her head, which felt like a lead weight. All the strength had gone from her body.

There was no hope…

TO BE CONTINUED


	7. Chapter 7

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3._ _This is an alternate take on my series of_ Justice League: The Animated Series _stories, crossing over into the future of_ Batman Beyond. _As stated above, I wrote this over ten years ago. At that point, the (absolutely_ stupid _) revelation of Terry McGinnis being Bruce Wayne's biological son hadn't happened. As far as this tale is concerned, Terry is simply Bruce's latest protégé. Meanwhile, the history of this veers off from my_ Wayback Wednesday _timeline before Bruce and Diana married. Also, because this is an alternate reality to my series, I didn't feel giving it a number was appropriate - hence it being a_ Special _._

 _4\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 7

Aresia walked up to Batman, who was still trying to break free of his chains. She knelt down and put her face an inch away from his. "I've waited so long for this…" she whispered. She then forced her lips on Batman's, and Batman's eyes widened.

She broke this kiss, and smiled. "Just a little goodbye kiss, from Diana to you," she said.

"Listen, you're making a big mistake," Batman said. "I'm not…"

Aresia slapped him hard. "SHUT UP! Don't insult my intelligence! You're going to die, Batman, and your girlfriend is going to watch!" She pointed at Diana, who was slowly crawling towards them, her body weakened by a poisoned drug.

Batman tried to break free of his chains again, but it was no good. He was helpless.

Aresia put her hand to her hip, and revealed a dagger from her belt. She raised it above her head. "Say goodbye to your boyfriend, Diana…"

Suddenly, there was a whizzing noise in the air. A small, black object shot through the air, and hit the dagger with pinpoint accurrism. The object threw the dagger out of her hand, and pinned it to a wallpipe. The pipe began to leak gasoline onto the floor.

Aresia looked at the object that had speared her dagger.

It was in the shape of a bat…

She spun around… and saw a figure at the entranceway. The figure was wearing a large coat and hat, and had a scarf wrapped around its face.

Aresia stood up and strode towards the figure, stopping a few feet from Diana. "Who are you?" she said. "How did you get down here?"

The person remained still. "Let them go," it said, with a male voice.

Aresia frowned. "I don't take orders from men," she said. "Now who are you?"

"The one you REALLY want," the man said coldly. He began to walk slowly towards her…

"Stop right where you are!" Aresia shouted, and grabbed another lasso from her hip. She threw it at the man, who tried to step out of the way. However, the lasso managed to wrap around his right arm.

Aresia yanked at the lasso, and the man fell down to the ground. He began to breath heavily. Aresia walked upto him. "Now who are you?"

The man lifted his head up, and looked at Aresia… anger in his eyes.

Suddenly, mechanised movement could be heard. The man's body began to expand, and his coat stretched out. Suddenly, the coat was torn to shreds, as spikes and fins pertruded out, and soon the man's body was covered in black and grey armour. His hat and scarf fell off, and for a second the face of an old man could be seen. It was then covered with a black helmet, which slid out from the suit's neck and folded over his face.

The man stood up, now fully covered with steel armour. He now stood over seven feet tall. His helmet had spikes at the top…

Like a bat's ears…

Aresia's eyes widened. "You…"

The armour-clad man looked at his arm, which was still tied by a lasso. He then pulled hard, and Aresia, still holding onto the other end, flew through the air. The armoured man raised his other arm and hit Aresia right in the face. Aresia flew backwards, smashing against a wall.

Batman's face fell. "What are you doing…?" he whispered.

Diana slowly lifted her head. "Bruce…"

Aresia slowly got up from the ground. She looked at Bruce, and clenched her fists. "DIE!" She dove towards him, but Bruce caught her with both hands and activated the electricity circuits. Aresia screamed as she was hit with thousands of volts of electricity, and her body went limb.

Bruce held her out infront of her, as steam rose from her body.

Suddenly, her eyes shot open, and she grabbed his head. She then ripped off his helmet, and saw the face beneath…

Bruce looked at her. "Look familiar?"

Aresia looked at him in silence. Her eyes widened. Then, her face contorted in anger, and she threw her arms out, breaking free of Bruce's grip. She began to punch him in the chest, repeatedly, until it was too much and Bruce lost his footing. He fell to the ground with a crash.

Aresia walked upto him, and reached for an object from her belt. She held it up. It was a grenade. "I can see a dagger won't be good enough for that armour," she said. "But this will do." She put her finger around the release pin…

Suddenly, Bruce pulled his legs back, and kicked Aresia hard. She went flying all the way to the other side of the bunker. She hit the wall hard, and slid down to the floor. Weakened, her finger slipped, pulling the release pin from the grenade…

Batman's eyes widened.

Aresia was sitting in the leaked gasoline…

Batman used all his strength and stretched his legs out. He managed to kick Aresia out of the puddle of gas, but it was too late. The grenade sparked, and the gasoline was set alight.

Time stood still.

The grenade then exploded…

/

The world was filled with flame.

Bruce held his armoured arm to his face. The entire one quarter of the bunk shelter was aflame. The grenade Aresia had had gone off in a puddle of gasoline, which was already alight. The resulting explosion and decimated the far corner of the hall.

And Aresia was in the middle of the blaze.

Even with her heightened invulnerability, Aresia was probably dead. In the past, Bruce would have ran in and tried to save her. Now, he barely had enough energy to stand.

He looked around and saw Diana and Terry. Terry was still straining against his chains, and Diana… was in trouble. There was no telling how long the poison would be in her system before her metabolism overcame it.

He walked slowly towards her and looked down. "Diana, can you stand?"

Diana looked at him weakly. "No… Bruce… get Terry out of here…"

Batman pulled with all his strength, but the most the chains would do was bend. He would have gotten free eventually… but time was something none of them had.

He looked at the inferno, which was not even ten feet from him. It was just a matter of time before it spread to his area of the room… and it was already dangerously near another stack of crates.

Two piles of crates had already been smashed. One was full of drink. The other with food.

Which meant the other crates… were filled with weaponry.

Flammable weaponry.

Bruce walked upto Batman and grabbed him with both hands. "This might hurt…" he said. He then pulled with all his strength, and yanked Batman up. The chains finally gave, and they snapped loose.

He set Batman down gently, and Batman held his wrists. "Not the most painless experience of my life," he said. Bruce was breathing heavily. "Are you OK?" Batman asked.

"Yes," Bruce said. "We have to get out of here…"

They both ran to Diana, who only had enough strength to get on all fours. She slowly looked up and saw the blaze in the corner. "Aresia…" she whispered.

Batman knelt down next to her. "We have to get out of here," he said. He gently yet firmly held Diana, and pulled her to her feet. She was still too weak to stand on her own.

Bruce held out his arms. "I'll take her."

Batman looked at him. "It's alright, I've got…"

"I'LL TAKE HER."

Batman sighed, and slowly put Diana in Bruce's hands. He took her and held her close. His breathing got more heavy.

"What about Aresia?" Batman asked.

"There's no time…" Bruce said. "You're all that matters…"

Batman frowned, but Bruce looked away. Batman followed his gaze… and saw the flame inches from the crates containing the weaponry.

"Come on!" Batman shouted. They both began to run, Bruce keeping Diana close. They ran out of the main bunker, and down the long tunnel. Batman looked back to see the flame…

It reached the crates.

The whole bunker then erupted in flame. Batman and Bruce ran as fast as they could, but a backdraft began to spread out. A wall of flame flew out from the bunker and chased them down the tunnel.

They could feel the heat. It was only a matter of seconds before the fire would overtake them.

Batman looked at the ceiling, and saw the whole Diana had drilled. "How much does that suit weigh?" he shouted at Bruce.

Bruce frowned. "What's that got to…"

Suddenly, Bruce was pulled off his feet. Batman held him by the metal collar and activated his rockets with full power. They flew into the air, and Bruce kept hold of Diana tight.

They flew up, and shot through the whole in the ceiling. The fire missed them by inches, before it swept through the rest of the tunnel. It was finally stopped by the solid titanium closing of the tunnel.

Batman flew him, Bruce and Diana through the tunnelled earth, and eventually reached the outside. They flew up, and cleared the ground by several feet. They hovered up there, above the Gotham parkland, for a few moments, then Batman slowly lowered them to the street.

Batman kicked his feet on the pavement. Smoke was rising from the soles of his boots. "My rockets are exhausted," he said. He looked at Bruce. "Everyone OK?"

Bruce looked at Diana in his arms. She smiled. "We're fine," she said. "I think I can stand now…"

"Are you sure?" Bruce asked quietly.

Diana nodded. "Yes… thank you Bruce."

He then gently set her down. Diana was still a bit wobbly, but she managed to balance himself.

"Everyone's OK, then?" Batman said.

"Yes," Bruce whispered. "And that's all that matters."

Batman and Diana looked at him, puzzled expressions on their faces.

Bruce held his chest.

He fell to his knees, then dropped backwards onto the road.

Diana's eyes widened. "Bruce!" She and Batman rushed to his side, and knelt down.

Bruce looked at them. "I'm sorry… for everything…"

Batman removed his mask, and Terry looked at him in shock. "What are you…?"

Bruce's breathing became ragged. "It's yours now, Terry…"

Terry began to tremble, and a tear ran down his face.

Bruce slowly turned to Diana. She was already heavily crying.

"I'm sorry, Diana… I…"

Diana stroked Bruce's cheek. "Darling…"

Bruce took a deep breath. "I… never stopped… loving you…"

Terry and Diana stared at him, trembling.

He took another deep breath…

And let it out…

His eyes went blank.

Terry and Diana stared at him.

The air was filled with the sound of crying…

TO BE CONCLUDED


	8. Chapter 8

_DISCLAIMERS/NOTES_

 _1\. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun._

 _2\. As always, I'll point out_ _ **this was written over a decade ago**_ _. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of_ Unlimited _wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale,_ The Savage Time _. All my_ Wayback Wednesday _stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck._

 _3._ _This is an alternate take on my series of_ Justice League: The Animated Series _stories, crossing over into the future of_ Batman Beyond. _As stated above, I wrote this over ten years ago. At that point, the (absolutely_ stupid _) revelation of Terry McGinnis being Bruce Wayne's biological son hadn't happened. As far as this tale is concerned, Terry is simply Bruce's latest protégé. Meanwhile, the history of this veers off from my_ Wayback Wednesday _timeline before Bruce and Diana married. Also, because this is an alternate reality to my series, I didn't feel giving it a number was appropriate - hence it being a_ Special _._

 _4\. That being said, in this chapter Terry does refer to Bruce as a father. But it's purely **metaphorical** \- as he would now see Bruce as a father_ figure _._

 _5\. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness._

* * *

PART 8

Diana stared at the photo in her hands.

She had been staring at it for over an hour… but she had not noticed. As far as she was concerned, she had only just picked it up.

It was a photo of her…

And Bruce…

She sighed. How could things have turned out the way they had? From looking at the photo… it was mystifying.

They were smiling. Bruce was actually smiling. He used to say he hardly ever smiled. Only Dick's presence in his life had made him smile before. And when Diana came into it, Dick was getting more and more out of the picture. He was spending more and more time solo.

But no matter how much warmth Dick brought to his life, Bruce always said it was nothing compared with Diana. He used to tell her how he loved her… they'd lie there in bed, holding eachother… and he would just explain everything he liked about her.

Diana had to admit… it made her feel special. To bring such joy to someone so dark… so alone. But whatever she had given to him… he had more than given to her.

She never thought men could be so noble. So caring. But Bruce was the love of her life. She knew she wanted to spend all eternity with him.

And she still did. Despite everything she did… everything she HAD to do… she never wanted to leave him. She wanted to be with him, always…

But it was too late.

He was gone.

Diana closed her eyes, and fresh tears rolled down her face. Her face was already red from crying. She had been crying for a week…

She wondered if she would ever stop…

She heard footsteps nearing. She did not bother to turn around.

"There you are," a young voice said. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

Diana smiled. It was half-hearted. "I haven't left this room in days…"

"I know," the voice said. "But I was hoping you'd gone ANYWHERE else."

Diana turned around, and looked at Terry. She noticed that his face was red as well. "I take it they're here?" she said quietly.

"Yes," Terry said. "They're waiting outside."

Diana turned back to the photo. "I guess… I'll be off then."

There was silence.

Diana's mouth trembled. "It's a horrible feeling."

Terry frowned. "What is?"

"Knowing that you've made the wrong choices," Diana said, "and it being too late to go back."

Terry went upto her. "You haven't talked about it. Do you want to?"

Diana wiped her tears away. "My sisters are waiting…"

"They can wait," Terry said. His tone was authorative. "I'm listening."

Diana slowly turned and faced him. "My life's a waste."

Terry said nothing. Diana knew he partly agreed.

Diana began to pace around the spare bedroom… the room that she had not left for five days. "I ruined his life," she said. "I see that now. And in ruining his life, mine has been wasted. I loved him. We loved eachother. And I turned my back on him."

Terry sighed. "I understand why you…"

Diana leant against a table. "DON'T. Just… don't." She let the tears flow freely. "It was no excuse. Any of my sisters could have become queen. But… I wanted to keep tradition… I wanted to keep it in the family…" She closed her eyes. "I was selfish."

Terry remained silent.

"All these years…" Diana said slowly. "I never stopped thinking about him. Never stopped… loving him. But it's only now that… I realise… I… he was my life. As he used to say I was his. I made the wrong choice…" She looked out of the window, at the stars in the sky. "Hera forgive me…"

Terry sighed. "He wouldn't… want you to torture yourself…"

Diana looked at him. "I have to. I have no reason to live now. I've… had no reason… for so long. Without Bruce… my life was meaningless. I kept telling myself my island needed me…" She looked at the photo, which was on the chair she had been sitting in. "He needed me more."

Terry held the back of his head. "He was like a father to me…" he whispered.

Diana looked at him, sadness in her eyes. "No one should have to lose two fathers…"

A tear ran down Terry's face. "It's amazing how one man can make our lives so full… and so empty when he's gone…"

"Now you know how I've felt…" Diana said, "for four decades."

They looked at eachother in silence.

Terry then stepped forward…

Diana gave a faint smile, and held her arms out.

They embraced, and Terry rested his head on her shoulder…

They held eachother for a long, long time…

/

The grandfather clock was pulled away, and light shone down the staircase.

Terry took a deep sigh, and slowly walked down the steps. He reached the bottom, and took a long look around the cave.

It seemed so empty now…

Diana had gone. After their talk, she had left the manor and joined two of her sisters, who were waiting to pick her up. They had left in a small jet that Diana had had built during her reign.

And now Terry was alone. Truly alone.

His second father had gone. Bruce was dead.

He had left Terry everything.

Everything.

Terry remembered going through Bruce's computer files after his death. One contained his will… recorded the very night he died. He had left everything to Terry. The house. The money. The cars. Everything.

And then there was the stuff the legal people did not know about. The cave. The suits. The car. Via an encrypted attachment on the file, that only Terry could open, Bruce had written that everything to do with Batman was now his.

He never knew the old man would do that. To be honest… he never considered Bruce would be gone. He just assumed… he would always be there.

As far as the public knew, Bruce Wayne had died of simple old age. And that was true. It WAS a simple heart attack that he had died of. But left out was what brought about the heart attack…

The fact that the eighty-year-old was fighting for his life against an immortal madwoman.

There had already been a public frenzy around his passing. The funeral was attended by over a hundred people… most Wayne/Powers staff. But several, Terry noted, seemed out of place. People who apparently had no connection to Bruce whatsoever.

And they did not… at least, not with BRUCE WAYNE…

Messages had come in from around the world. People who had been successful in business, inspired by Bruce's ventures. Relatives of people Bruce employed during his prime.

And then there were the "out-of-place" people… Superman. Big Barda. The Atom. Green Lantern. Warhawk. The Flash. And countless other heroes who had worked with or had heard of the legend that was the Batman.

And just the day before, Terry had received a phonecall from a certain Mr. Grayson…

Terry heard small footsteps behind him, and turned around to see Ace coming down the steps. The hound went up to his feet, and looked up. He pined… as if he knew what had happened. Terry fondled his ear.

His mother and brother would be moving into the house tomorrow. The next few months would be difficult. A lot of change.

Terry went up to the glass cabinet, and took out the black suit. He silently put it on.

He looked at the clock on the wall. 7:58pm.

His second father was gone.

He pulled the mask on.

It was time to go do his father's work.

THE END


End file.
